Laboratory studies of the charge neutralization of a rocket payload during electron beam emission

Abstract
The charge neutralization of an electrically‐isolated rocket payload emitting an energetic electron beam has been studied in experiments in the large vacuum chamber at Johnson Space Center. The introduction of an RF‐discharge‐produced ambient plasma density (104 ‐ 5 × 104 cm−3) reduces the payload potential to < 200 V for low current (1 and 10 ma) beams. The ignition of the beam‐plasma discharge provides an efficient neutralization process for higher current beams.